Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, has welcomed over a million pounds of Welsh Government funding for road safety and safe routes in Swansea.

The announcement comes as part of grant funding totalling nearly £11m to improve safe routes in communities and road safety across Wales.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “Improving the infrastructure to ensure that it is as easy, safe and enjoyable as possible for people to walk or cycle is really important.

“I am delighted to see areas of Gower benefiting from Safe Routes in Communities funding, including £329,000 for Clydach.”

There will be more than £120,000 additional funding to deliver a number of road safety programmes across Swansea, including programmes for cyclists and new drivers.

Rebecca Evans AM added: “Wales received international acclaim and recognition for its world-leading Active Travel legislation for good reason. Walking or cycling is great for wellbeing, and as well as being good for the environment and a way of tackling traffic build-up. I am glad to see our aspirations being backed up by investment.”

Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, is joining with Ovarian Cancer Action to mark World Ovarian Cancer Day by raising awareness of the symptoms.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “It is not the most talked about of health issues, but the reality is that ovarian cancer is a disease that kills one woman every two hours in the UK.

“82% of women are unable to name the four main symptoms of Ovarian Cancer, which means there is a lot of work to do.”

The four main symptoms are persistent stomach pain; persistent bloating; finding it difficult to eat or feeling full quickly; and needing to use the toilet more often.

Ovarian Cancer Action has reported that 70% of women said they would hope general health symptoms such as bloating or fatigue would go away so that they did not have to ask for time off work to see a GP. However an early diagnosis can indeed be lifesaving.

Mrs Evans added: “I would encourage all women to be aware of the symptoms, and go to the GP if anything seems amiss. Early diagnosis is vital.”

Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Gower, has called the continued increase in the use of Foodbanks across Wales, “a scandal.”

Mrs Evans said: “In Wales thenumber of food parcels given out across Wales has soared. In Gower alone, 7852three-day emergency food supplies were given to local people in crisis in the last year, with 2803of these going to children.”

One of the main issues leading to the increase in use of food banks is that it is taking five weeks for people entitled to receive Universal Credit to get their first payment, leading to individuals and families struggling to survive.

In the light of this, Rebecca Evans AM has written to the Secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions to call for an end to this damaging wait.

Mrs Evans added: ”More and more, we are also seeing working people also needing the help of food banks. Despite working one or more jobs, the cost of living and climate of politically-driven austerity means that many people are simply not bringing home enough money to survive. This is a devastating reflection of the choices that the UK Government is making and the impact those choices are having on people’s everyday lives.”

The declaration sends a clear signal that the Welsh Government will not allow the process of leaving the EU to detract from the challenge of climate change, which threatens our health, economy, infrastructure and our natural environment.

The announcement draws attention to the magnitude and significance of the latest evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and highlights the recent climate protests across the UK.

The latest advice on from the Welsh Government’s statutory advisory body the UK Committee on Climate Change on how meeting the goals in the Paris Agreement might affect Wales’ long-term climate change legislative targets is due at the end of the week.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “Tackling climate change is the defining issue of this generation and the Welsh Government is right to declare a climate emergency.

“All governments have a moral responsibility to act. Tackling climate change is not an issue which can be left to individuals or to the free market. It requires collective action and the Welsh Government has a central role in making that collective action possible.

“I hope this decision to declare a climate emergency inspires others to take action both here in Wales and around the world.”

The Circular Economy Fund will help Wales reach the milestones of 70% recycling by 2025 and 100% recycling by 2050, as set out in the Welsh Government’s waste strategy Towards Zero Waste.

A circular economy keeps resources in use as long as possible by recovering and regenerating materials at the end of their life instead of disposing of them.

Creating a circular economy for plastic waste is a real opportunity for the economy of Gower and Swansea as well as benefiting the environment. It will help create and protect jobs by making our manufacturing companies more resource efficient and resilient and strengthening local supply chains.

The £6.5 million fund will offer grants to businesses of any size seeking capital investment funding to increase their use of recycled materials in manufactured products, components or packaging. WRAP Cymru will administer the fund on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “20 years of devolution has been 20 years of improving recycling rates in Wales. Wales tops the table of UK nations when it comes recycling, and is third best in the world.

“There is always more to do and the announcement of this fund demonstrates that the Welsh Government is determined to take the next step.

“I want to encourage manufacturers across Gower to find out more and take a look at the WRAP Cymru website on the Circular Economy Fund and consider the opportunities we can offer them.”

Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM has pledged to continue her support for WWF’s Earth Hour campaign by committing to take part in Earth Hour 2019. Each year, millions of people all over the world switch off their lights for 60 minutes. This year Earth Hour will take place on Saturday March 30th 8:30 -9:30 with homes, businesses’ and landmarks all over Wales due to take part.

Last year over 400,000 people, took part to send a clear message: we care about the future of our planet. In 2018 Wales’ iconic landmarks including the Senedd and Cardiff Castle joined global landmarks, from the Empire State building to Sydney Opera House, to switch off for the planet.

As part of this year’s Earth Hour campaign, Rebecca Evans AM is supporting WWF Cymru’s calls for people in Wales to pledge to make one small change in their everyday lives to help protect the planet. This can include using a reusable coffee cup, turning the washing to 30°C or even helping to restore nature in the community. These small actions could have a significant, collective impact on the future of our planet.

Mrs Evans explains “We know the planet is under threat from the devastating impacts of climate change and we have seen wildlife populations plummet. In Gower, we fortunate to be surrounded by amazing natural beauty, and it is vital we work together ensure that this is case for generations to come. We depend on nature for clean air and water, fertile soils and improving our wellbeing.

“We will all feel the impact if we do not do our bit to tackle climate change and put the world on a path to recovery. Therefore, I’m encouraging everyone to make a pledge and take part in Earth Hour.”

WWF Cymru Director Anne Meikle explains: “We are the first generation to know we are destroying the world. And almost certainly the last that can do anything about it. It is not too late, but we can no longer simply switch off to the world’s destruction and watch nature disappear. Instead we need to switch off for Earth Hour and create a powerful collective voice to call for real action to protect our planet.”

Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, has again this year welcomed representatives of the Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales, to The Senedd ahead of World Kidney Day.

The Swansea-based charity, which visits The Senedd every year, was set up in memory of Paul Popham, who successfully fought renal failure for many years and benefited from two kidney transplants. It works with units and centres that treat and specialise in renal care in Wales to purchase items that will benefit renal patients’ quality of life, and to develop initiatives that will help improve their health, well-being and welfare.

Topics discussed during this year’s visit included the work of the charity, kidney disease, Organ Donation Week, which will take place September 2-8, World Kidney Day, and the British Transplant Games, which take place July 25-28 in Newport.

Claire Popham, Paul Popham’s daughter and one of the charity’s trustees, said she was delighted with how the visit went.

“Our annual visit to The Senedd is a very important date in our calendar,” she said. “It’s a chance for us to discuss our work and raise awareness of related issues, such as the need for more organ donors. We were delighted to have such a warm welcome on this visit, and that the AMs showed so much interest in what we had to say. There are around 10,000 people with renal disease in Wales and more at risk. It is our aim to ensure that we support all renal patients in Wales to help them enjoy a better quality of life. Visits like this can bring us closer to achieving our aim.”

Rebecca Evans AM said: “I always look forward to welcoming representatives from the Paul Popham Fund to the Senedd. The work they do in raising the issue and offering renal support is truly inspiring. It is charity that Swansea can be most proud of. The Paul Popham Fund is using first-hand experience of living with renal disease to make a positive impact on those diagnosed with renal disease and their families, to help those living with renal disease to live the best possible life. I would encourage the people of Swansea to visit the Paul Popham Fund Website and see how they can support the Paul Popham Fund in reaching their goals.”

Notes to editors​

The Paul Popham Fund was set-up and is run by close friends and family of the late and very much-respected Paul ‘Wally’ Popham. Everyone involved in The Fund has been inspired in some way by Paul Popham’s unrelenting optimism in the face of renal disease.

The aim of The Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales is to improve the quality of life of renal patients in Wales.

The charity raises money by organising events that reflect Paul’s ethos and that he would have been proud of. It also raises money by encouraging others to organise their own events and support the charity in any way they can.